The effect of nanoparticles on the liquid-gas surface tension of Bi2Te3 nanofluids

Nanotechnology. 2009 May 6;20(18):185702. doi: 10.1088/0957-4484/20/18/185702. Epub 2009 Apr 15.

Abstract

This work investigates the effect of size and concentration of nanoparticles on the effective gas-liquid surface tension of aqueous solutions of bismuth telluride nanoparticles functionalized with thioglycolic acid. The gas-liquid surface tension is obtained by solving the Laplace-Young equation under experimentally measured boundary conditions and droplet parameters. The results demonstrate that the gas-liquid surface tension depends on concentration as well as nanoparticle size. Solutions containing 2.5 and 10.4 nm nanoparticle diameters have been tested. For both, a minimum surface tension exists within the range of tested mass concentrations. The largest reduction in the surface tension (>50% versus bulk liquid) occurred for the 2.5 nm nanoparticle nanofluid. Accumulation and assembly of the charged nanoparticles at the liquid-gas interface was assumed to be responsible for the surface tension of the nanofluids investigated in this work.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Bismuth / chemistry*
  • Crystallization / methods*
  • Gases / chemistry*
  • Macromolecular Substances / chemistry
  • Materials Testing
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / ultrastructure*
  • Nanotechnology / methods*
  • Particle Size
  • Solutions
  • Surface Properties
  • Surface Tension
  • Tellurium / chemistry*

Substances

  • Gases
  • Macromolecular Substances
  • Solutions
  • Tellurium
  • Bismuth